DVDs are a popular form of storage for relatively large quantities of data. One of the more popular uses for the DVD format is the recording of movies for the consumer market. While DVDs have a great number of advantages, they suffer from damage such as scratches on their surfaces. Since DVDs are optical storage, these scratches can make the movies stored on the DVDs partially or wholly unwatchable. Likewise, if other forms of data are stored on the DVDs, the data can be wholly or partially corrupted.
Many people have large collections of DVDs. These DVDs tend to become disorganized, damaged, and lost over time. Furthermore, the DVDs, while relatively compact in size, are bulky in larger numbers and, as such, are cumbersome to store or transport.
DVDs are only one popular form of removable mass storage. Other forms include, but are not limited to, CD-ROMS, CDs, the new high-definition formats for digital video, removable magnetic storage, removable semiconductor storage, etc. As used herein, the term “removable storage” will refer, by example, to these and other equivalent forms of storage.
The protection of digital content is also an area of growing concern. Content owners are concerned with the proper use of their copyrighted materials. The ability to track and/or enforce proper usage of copyrighted materials is therefore important.
Also, the ability to deliver content efficiently is becoming ever more important, particularly in view of the increasing mobility of the population. This not only includes the delivery of content without the requirement for physical media (e.g. by transmission over the Internet) but also efficient “players” for reproducing the content by the user.